12 The Julian News
March 18, 2015
Questions & Answers
About Our Environment
Dear EarthTalk: What's going
to happen to the U.S. solar
industry when the federal solar
investment tax credit expires
next year?
-- Victoria Chase,
Washington, DC
In the U.S., a new solar
project was installed every three
minutes in 2014, and jobs in the
solar industry rose from 15,000
employees in 2005 to nearly
174,000 today. This substantial
growth is in large part thanks
to the Energy Policy Act of
2005% 30 percent Investment
Tax Credit (ITC) for commercial
and residential solar energy
systems. In 2007, after only one
year of implementation, the ITC
led to the doubling of installed
solar electric capacity. In 2008,
Congress passed an eight-year
extension of De ITC, allowing
solar to become the fastest
growing energy source in the
U.S. Solar has also become
much more affordable: The
average installed cost per watt
has dropped from around $7.50
in 2009 to $2.89 in 2013.
After December 2016, the
ITC solar credit will drop to 30
percent to 10 percent and the
residential credit will drop to
zero--unless Congress extends
this deadline. Large companies
are currently making significant
solar investments before
the solar tax credit deadline
arrives. In February 2015, Apple
announced that it would spend
$848 million over 25 years to
buy 130 megawatts of electricity
from First Solar's California
Flats Solar Project in Monterey
County. The project, which will
occupy 2,900 acres of land in
Cholame, California, is the solar
industry's largest-ever corporate
power purchase agreement.
"Apple's commitment was
instrumental in making this
project possible and will
significantly increase the supply
of solar power in California,"
said Joe Kishkill, First Solar's
chief commercial officer. "Over
time, the renewable energy from
California Flats will provide cost
savings over alternative sources
of energy as well as substantially
lower environmental impact."
Two weeks after Apple's
announcement, Google
announced that they would be
making a $300 million investment
with SolarCity, America's largest
solar provider, for residential
solar projects across 14 states
and the District of Columbia.
The SolarCity fund, which totals
$750 million, is the largest of its
kind ever created for residential
solar power. "We're happy to
support SolarCity's mission to
help families reduce their carbon
footprint and energy costs," said
Sidd Mundra, Renewable Energy
Principal at Google. "It's good
for the environment, good for
families and also makes good
business sense."
Duke Energy has also played
a major role in catapulting
solar energy in North Carolina,
which ranked third among
states during the third quarter
of 2014 in installed capacity,
according to the Solar Energy
Industries Association (SEIA).
Duke Energy's $500 million
solar expansion plan includes
their recent approval to build
three solar farms in eastern
North Carolina that will total 128
megawatts of capacity.
"These projects will help
provide significant amounts of
Visitors check out First Solar's array of photovoltaic panels outside of San
Luis Obispo, California.
Credit. Russ Ferriday, FlickrCC
#
.
California Business and Professions Code Section
7027. el se¢, requires thai any advertisement by a
licensed contractor include the contractors license
number. Section 70272 says that unlicensed
persons whose work qualifies under the minor work
exemption, less lhan $300 including maleriat and
labor, may advertise, provided that he or she state
in the advertisement that they are not licensed. The
California Contractors State License Board
publishes a free booklet, "What You Should Know
Before You Hire A Contractor." For free information
calf: 1-800-321-CSLBi2752).
ervice
nce
anagement
##
24 Hour
Emergency Service
d~t~ ~ mar&
COUNCIL %~;~7,~;#
cost-effective renewable energy
to benefit our customers," said
Rob Caldwell, Duke Energy's
senior vice president for
distributed energy resources.
To allow solar to continue
to soar, the 2016 U.S. Budget
includes proposals "to reform
and renew tax credits that
incentivize the deployment of
wind, solar, and carbon capture
sequestration technologies." Ken
Johnson, chief spokesman for
SEIA, says that his group plans
to lobby Congress to extend the
credit. "That's our top priority
for this session of Congress,"
he said, adding that developers
across the solar industry are
"trying to do as much as possible
before it drops to 10 percent in
2017."
CONTACTS: First Solar, www.
firstsolar.com; Solar City, www.
solarcity.com; Duke Energy, www.
duke-energy.com; SEIA, www.seia.
org.
EarthTalk® is produced by
Doug Moss & Roddy Scheer and
is a registered trademark of Earth
Action Network Inc. View past
columns at: www.earthtalk.org. Or
e-mail us your question: earthtalk@
emagazine.com.
Vet Connect Program
Comes To Town At The Library
Kindness is contagious. The spirit
of harmony trickles down by a
thlousand secret channels into the
inmost recesses of the household
life.
The County's Department of Aging and Independent Services
Veteran's Affairs office is partnering with the Julian Branch of the San
Diego County Library to provide a new program to the backcountry.
The VET CONNECT program allows you to take care of business that
you would normally have to drive to San Diego to complete. Starting
this week, you can now schedule an appointment and take care of
many different VA benefits via a computer workstation that is set up
at the Julian Library. Thursday is the scheduled day for appointments
here at the Julian Library, although as their schedule permits another
day could be scheduled.
Veterans and or their survivors will be able to schedule an
. • • appointment with the Veteran's Affairs office by calling (858) 634-
3222 and come to the Julian library for their appointed time, check in
with a staff member and they will have an Internet session where you
are see the person who is assisting you, and they can see you. This
video chat als0 has a teiephone and fax machine so you may'speak
with them and send them copies of your documentation. Appointment
checklists are available at the Julian Library to ensure you have all of
--Henry Van Dyke the proper documents with you before your scheduled appointment.
The following claims can be processed through the satellite station at
bThfl this in medicinal
Using
plant
treatments was once so popular that
French pharmacists painted its image
on their doorposts. American colonists
...... treated whooping cough by
l Olll;$TOOt .- ., , . . .
-" tll]l wrapping o,anKets soaKea
with its essence around the ill.
2J The plant can be found in
abundance around river banks and
lilY~ [g Ud//J}J - watery ditches. Its bright yellow,
I g dandelion-like flowers emerge in
[ ff/ ff / earlyspringbeforeitsleavesappear.
© 2015 by King Features Syndicate, Inc. World rights reserved, "
the Julian library: Compensation,
Pension, Dependency and
Indemnity Compensation,
Survivors Pension Claims and
College Fee Waivers. The
workstation has been set up to be
as complete and user friendly as
it can be. Branch staff can assist
you with the basic check in and
computer use, however, since
you are dealing with confidential
information, the person you
connect with for the video chat
from the Veterans Affairs office
will guide you through your
appointment.
If you have any questions,
please contact the COSD
Veteran's Affairs office at (858)
634:3222 or send an email to
sdcvso.hhsa@sdcounty.ca.gov.
If you have questions about this
or other offerings at the Julian
Branch library, please call 760-
765-0370.
Lic: #995342
• Grading • Seal Coating • Sign Installation
• Paving • Striping • Thermoplastic
• Culverts & Drains •Wheel Stop & Road Markers
www.j ulianasphalt.com
!619)201-23.61
mrsnmser@gmmi.com
° CUSTOM HOMES ° DECKING • DOORS & WINDOWS ELECTRICAL SERVICE HARDWOOD FLOORING °
° GRADING ° PAINTING • REMODELING • SEPTIC SYSTEMS ° TILE WORK • WATER SYSTEMS ° WELL DRILLING
Excavation / Site Work Bull Dozer Services Painting Contractor General Contractor
I General Contractor [
I
Clearing,
Grading,
' GENERAL I I Room Additions l
I 'Roads, Pads I I New ConstructionI
CONTRACTORS I , . It\ Decks l
l All General Engineering I Serving Julian since 1984 Cell 760 519-0618 ,Mike DeWitt ." Remodels
I No Move In Snn/. I Office 700 788-7680 I
I Over 35 Years Experience760"765"23631
,760-749.1782/760-390.04 , PO Box 518 I Lawrence NoUe, Owner PC Box 1342 I
Larry Herman '
" " ' I Julian, CA92036 I IJulian Residentfor 27years " TTrHav f'A ogow, I
I OC'O0=O0~" I 17601/765~0265
[. License # 737182 I StateLi¢.GO26. l J .....' ........ I
Furnace Repair Pumps/Well Electrical •
L Il=: Nn,,,1 , , la l , 'WaterWe,l Electrical
I For over 3O years / I ........ : ContractorLic. 702741 I I~ #New Meters
Military & I ourdadhas been taking l I - ..Submersible... Pumps I I/ ~Nc~it~oan~ircuits~'NewPane~:'- .;+^
Keep Your $$ on the Mountain I I care of back country water I
• oos[er t'umps #Fans & Lighting
Support Your Local Small Businesses ~ v j I problems, big or small. Call | i • Storage Tanks I I ht,ng
( DI 9) 30'[ 3694 [ I.°urdad(BertHuff)t°dayand,jl - Ozone Water Treatment I I Dh "/RR R4111
m " efiminatethe I #ew/---u##~-- ### #@#I- I I .'A; ~;=Z~%~'; ~ ,'=~
VmceReggiani, Owner;Operator--S QuickResponseAC.com I I i
Carpet / Flooring / Window Treatment
*******************************
I~LIAINIlIN~EI~I]01~S,~IN¢. =
Hoor & Window Coverings for over 40 years _~J~ O-~'l ,a,t
2 ... ~]It~Z*~i=~r'- ; - Fully Licensed and
;_(760) 765.160 . ond,
"~"~' Power Washing
; Call for Free Estimate 1~ :$~1L ~" sL~::ffA223o4f"Free Estimates
HARDWOOD* LAMINATE* CARPET* TILE &~;IORE.;,,so~r
rCt r-kYt rCtYtCt'k
LARRY NOBLE ,CONSTRUCTION INC,
